If you had to take a blindfold test, how often could you identify which side of the Atlantic a piece of music comes from? Maybe not every time, but there’s something ineffably European about this session by French jazz-rock outfit Confluence – the last of three albums they released between 1976 and 1978. Brit-fusion pioneers Nucleus are definitely an influence, with Jean Querlier’s querulous oboe echoing Karl Jenkins’ work there; and Denis Van Hecke’s sweetly-singing cello solo over a slow, dreamy waltz in the title track effortlessly conjures a leafy boulevard; while Philippe Petit’s electric guitar buzzes like a tribute to John McLaughlin throughout, offering taut solos and jagged chords. Elsewhere, the net is cast a little wider: ‘Bolero Loco’ is a more abstract affair, with Zappa-esque faux classical flourishes, while the closing number ‘Rumeurs’ is a languid tone poem with overdubbed wave sounds and scrabbling acoustic guitar. C’est bien!

Vinyl sold for £20 at ebay.com in April 2011